¡Uno! by Green Day | Teen Ink

¡Uno! by Green Day MAG

October 14, 2012
By AleksGejdel BRONZE, Brooklyn, New York
AleksGejdel BRONZE, Brooklyn, New York
1 article 0 photos 0 comments

I have to be honest: I was extremely disappointed by “¡Uno!” which is the first album in Green Day's 2012 trilogy. I was desperately hoping the band would go backwards with their musical style, but this remains similar to pop rock. That's not the only problem: Of its 13 tracks, I actually only enjoyed two.

After thoroughly listening to “¡Uno!” and reading the lyrics until they were carved into my brain, I began to notice its overall theme, which I realized is surprisingly deep and relatable. It seems that lead singer and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong was reflecting on his coming of age and trying to reach out to his audience. The first track, “Nuclear Family,” describes a common problem among teenagers: family issues. Armstrong himself didn't have a nuclear family. His father died when he was ten, and his relationship with his stepfather wasn't pleasant.

“Carpe Diem” is, in my opinion, the preeminent song on the album. Life is short, after all, and it really does pass in “a blink of an eye,” as Armstrong's striking voice sings out. Not only are the vocals and lyrics over the top, but the instrumentals also set a mood that empowers the listener. It sends a positive message – something you don't see much in mainstream music anymore.

Unfortunately, these are probably the only pleasant aspects of the album. Track five, “Kill the DJ,” is plain terrible. It sounds as if Armstrong is using AutoTune. Like an old lady using Botox, Green Day is trying to appear younger, and it's not working out.

Another negative of the album is the lack of emotion in Armstrong's voice. One thing that had me screaming for Green Day is how at one time, his voice portrayed so much anger one moment, but could become melancholy, light, or innocent the next. In “¡Uno!” he sounds distant and withdrawn. And then he screws up some of the tracks even more, trying to produce an angry sound by simply adding explicit words. Newsflash, Billie: cursing your lungs out won't necessarily add emotion to your music.

“¡Uno!” is nowhere near Green Day's best album. After the brilliance of “21st Century Breakdown,” it was almost impossible to wait three years to see what else Green Day had in store. Expectations were set pretty high in 2009, and this album just didn't cut it – it's a huge letdown.


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This article has 5 comments.


on Oct. 26 2013 at 6:17 pm
MarieEsther PLATINUM, Miami, Florida
33 articles 0 photos 11 comments
You struck some valid points with this review. I'm not a fan of Green Day, but I daresay that reading a review of this album written by a Green Day fan was very enjoyable. Great perspective, and cool writing.

Mckay ELITE said...
on Oct. 5 2013 at 4:35 pm
Mckay ELITE, Somewhere, Virginia
146 articles 0 photos 2230 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;The people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.&quot;<br /> &mdash;Apple&rsquo;s &ldquo;Think Different&rdquo; commercial, 1997<br /> &ldquo;Crazy people are considered mad by the rest of the society only because their intelligence isn&#039;t understood.&rdquo; <br /> ― Weihui Zhou

First of all, very detailed review. Good.   Second, I'm also disappointed with this band. They're amazing and talented. It's sad to see that they're trying to relate with all these other (mostly talentless) artists. I think it's ok to try new stuff and experiment. Artists shouldn't be tied down to one thing exclusively. Tastes become different over time. But as long as it's good. I mean, if they're trying to be all auto-tuned, pop rock, and whatever like everyone else, then they're loosing their identity. Just sad really.    Hope they come up with better music. 

on Oct. 4 2013 at 7:53 pm
Haven't heard any of Green Days newer albums I kinda just stick to 21 guns, Wake me up when semptember ends, and sometimes Boulavard of Broken Dreams.  Check out Muse if you haven't heard of them :) I love the band Coldplay ( dont know if youve heard of them) But their newest album was a MAJOR disappiontment. The old Coldplay was much much better :)

Nimbalo GOLD said...
on Oct. 1 2013 at 10:35 pm
Nimbalo GOLD, Elgin, South Carolina
16 articles 1 photo 2 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;I&#039;d rather be hated for who I am, then loved for who I am not.&quot; -Kurt Cobain

I think this is a good review. Green day has been one of my favorite bands for the past several years. However, I do think Uno was a good album. The reason I think so is because last year around this time(when Uno came out) I was just starting to date my current girlfriend and it was also right before my stepbrother died, and he was the one who got me into green day. He taught me bass guitar and some of my last memories with him were showing him Green Day's new album Uno. That may be my personal reason for liking Uno. Whenever I hear any song off of Uno it reminds me of riding my bike dow nthe road from my gf's house. It brings nostalgia. As for the actual content, I still think that Billie Joe Armstrong does a good job of displaying the themes(like you said), and even songs like "Kill the DJ," which do have in my opinion excessive cursing, still show skill in the way they were written(perhaps more for me because of the amazing bass line the song has). I can see what you say as far as Billie Joe Armstrong's passion in his singing. He hasn't shown as much emotion as in previous albums such as Warning or American Idiot, but I believe lots of his effort has been more focused on the lyrics themselves.  I don't think Billie Joe Armstrong was trying to "appear younger," but rather he wanted to try something new. Referring to your comments on "Kill the DJ" again, I believe that Billie Joe only used the effects he did as an experiment into a different style of music(dance or club music).  Overall, I think you are right about somethings like Billie Joe's lack of emotion, but I still love this album and I think the basic songs combined with amazing lyrics create a nostalgic and simple feeling that represents rock in its purest form. This album has power, refined not too much but not too little, with the harmonies creating a solid, relatable album, that any Green Day fan could relate to.  Thank you.

on Oct. 31 2012 at 3:25 pm
ChobaniLuvinPenguin PLATINUM, Brooklyn, New York
29 articles 0 photos 85 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;What makes the desert beautiful is that somewhere it hides a well.&quot;<br /> ― Antoine de Saint-Exup&eacute;ry, The Little Prince

I love your review! You clearly present your opinions with a powerful voice that makes your review so much fun to read! The humor and sarcasm add to the greatness of it all! So awesome!!! Keep writing!!!